<p>I really have been thinking seriously about adopting a young cat from one of our local shelters. I have been doing my homework, and thought I was about ready to take the plunge until the subject of declawing came up. The bottom line for me is that scratching of my walls, doors, furniture is a deal breaker for me. This is something that I know I won’t be able to tolerate so I started looking into the declawing procedure. One thing I quickly learned when talking to various people about it: either they have no issue with it or, BOY, do they <em>ever</em> have an issue with it! I don’t need for anyone to tell me how “cruel” the procedure is (I’ve heard this ad nauseum). I have looked into various methods for keeping cats from scratching on things you don’t want them to, but what happens when you’re away from home (like at work) and have no control over it?</p>
<p>More and more I’ve been thinking that if unwanted scratching is really that big of a concern, then maybe a cat is not the pet for me. How do you cat owners deal with this situation?</p>
<p>We have been a multiple cat family forever. Scratching has not been a big issue. You get them scratching posts and/or carpeted cat condos (playhouses). You squirt them with water or an air cannister if they try to scratch your furniture or rugs. Generally it is behavior that is easy to change. DO NOT de-claw. We sign agreements when we get our cats that we will NOT de-claw. There is no point. If you keep the claws clipped and gently discipline the cat, you won’t have a problem with scratching.</p>
<p>Agree with MWC. One thing we also did was spray the scratching post and cat condo with catnip spray - makes it very enticing. Our cat is very cooperative when I trim his claws.
No problems here.</p>
<p>MOWC, I don’t know how you keep the cat just clawing a scratching post or cat condo! We have two cats. We never de-clawed them because we used to let them go outside and there are a lot of animals around as we live in the woods in a rural area and so they need claws for their own safety. However, we no longer let them out because of the animals out there. In any case, my furniture is all ruined. They scratch all the soft furniture and have wrecked the sofas and upholstered chairs, to my chagrin. My husband is very into the cats. I like the cats but I will never be able to afford to replace my furniture which is wrecked. Years ago, I recall getting a scratching post carpeted type thing. I don’t recall the cats ever scratching it but rather using the furniture instead.</p>
<p>I swear by this product, called Soft Paws. They are plastic covers that glue onto the claws. I have 2 cats that I use them on and my furniture is still looking good! They are available from a vet online. And they come in different colors, which makes them the perfect fashion accessory for today’s feline :D</p>
<p>I’ve had cats for over 25 years, and we always used to have them declawed. But that was before I understood what declawing actually does to the cat, and now I feel a bit guilty for having done it in the past. But I have to say, it does save the furniture.</p>
<p>I agree with MOWC. I have two cats. One of them loves the scratching post and the ohther one loves one particular chair that I don’t care about. They don’t scratch anything else (including walls). I keep their nails trimmed and if they are somewhere that they are not supposed to be, I spray them. I got a $1 spray bottle from Ikea just for this purpose.</p>
<p>If you are that worried about what they will do initially and while you are training them, you can put a towel over furniture or buy soft claws, which are rubber tips to put over their claws. One other thing, you could try to adopt a cat that is already declawed so you won’t be putting the procedure on another cat, but I think they are definitely trainable. I am away a lot, leaving the cats to their own devices, and nothing is scratched except the one chair I mentioned – and I just have one old scratching post without catnip rubbed on it or anything. The way that my cats jump onto things and play with balls, though, I can’t imagine them being able to do the same without claws.</p>
<p>We have two indoor cats that we got from the humane society. Even after five years with us, they don’t like to be held in an enclosed way (though they love being petted), so clipping claws is a two-person operation. This means it doesn’t get done very often and they usually have long claws.</p>
<p>But we got a cat condo and a tall scratching post in the first week we got the cats, and that’s pretty much all they touch. Once in awhile they do one of those long back stretches while sitting on the sofa arm, and I can hear their claws catching while they stretch. I say “stop” in a loud voice and they do stop right away. Our sofas are about a year old and they still look new.</p>
<p>I’ve had shelter cats for years and do not allow scratching problems to persist. </p>
<p>Yell at them like you were going to hurt them, and gently slap their clawing paws with one finger to identify to them the reason for the yell. They’ll stop in a week.</p>
<p>And always have more then one cat. Lonely cats get into trouble. Pairs torture each other, not you.</p>
<p>Be an Alpha owner. Submissive owners have problem cats.</p>
<p>My experience is in line with Soozievt’s. I have been a lifelong cat person and have never known a cat that was content to scratch a scratching post. The cats I have had that have been outside/inside cats never destroyed anything. The inside only cats with claws have made fluff out of the front surface of arms of chairs and climbed many a curtain. I know what an inhumane procedure declawing is and I don’t like it, but I have three declawed cats; they are all rescued cats that I wouldn’t have taken in had they kept their claws. Better declawed than dead.</p>
<p>Agree with Schmoogoo. Lifelong cat owner here, and my cats have run the gamut from never scratching anything, to destroying furniture. With some, I didn’t need to take any action; others I tried Soft Paws, which worked; and with another I had him de-clawed because nothing worked. The vet who performed the de-claw said it was better to de-claw the cat and keep him in a loving home, that have him homeless or put to sleep in a shelter. The procedure turned out not to be a big deal. The cat licked his paws for one day, then acted like nothing happened for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>I think the trick with a young cat is to get him or her a really nice cat tree with some carpeted pieces and some rope-wrapped posts (some cats like the carpet, some like the rope for scratching). If the cat likes hanging around the tree, it will likely get used to scratching it. A feathered cat toy on a short rope strategically attached to the top of a scratching post gets the cat excited about sinking its claws into the post. My cat is not afraid of water, so squirt bottles do not work on her. I can literally hose her with water, but she will just shake it off an continue doing her thing (digging dirt out of my potted plants). And I trim her claws with special scissors - forget about Pedipaws!</p>
<p>A friend used a technique that’s not declawing, but just clips a tendon near the first joint. This stops the cat from being able to put the claws out. The only issue is that the claws keep growing, so she needs to cut them frequently.</p>
<p>I’m in the “I have no furniture” club; nothing we did could stop the cats from clawing. Now I have one that literally climbs up the back of the sofa to get on top! At least the furniture’s already been destroyed!</p>
<p>We used the soft paws as well. Took her about a day or two to rip them off. She refused to use the scratching posts. Instead, she destroyed all ten of my expensive dining room chairs, both sofas, a beautiful chair in my bedroom. We tried all the methods described so far and NONE worked. So some cats are not so easily cured as others by using water, etc. I’ve had cats all my life, and some cats are just scratchers.</p>
<p>I have always provided my cats with a rope type scratching post as well as the cardboard type. But that did not stop them from using my old sofa and chair which had a nubby type texture that they could not resist. When it came time to replace the sofa and chair I bought ones with slipcovers that can easily be replaced. However, not one of the cats has scratched on the new stuff!!
In my experience dogs have been more destructive than cats.</p>
<p>My cats were all “scratchers.” I had cats when I was in my 20’s, and they clawed up all the nice furniture I bought, leather couch, suede chairs, etc. </p>
<p>We had a great dog for 6 years, and H & I were definitely the pack leaders. The dog learned fast what behavior was allowed and what wasn’t. I’m not so sure I’d be able to train a cat that same way.</p>
<p>I have a very intelligent cat, and he refuses to stop clawing. He knows how to open cabinets, doors, and comes when called (most of the time.) We have yelled, squirted, physically interrupted, etc. about the clawing, and we gave up. I cover the good chairs with blankets. He only likes furniture, no walls. My previous cat did not do this. The kennel we use does a great job of trimming the nails, but mine is not so good. It is hard to get him to go in the carrier, or I would take him there more often. If I had it to do over, I would declaw him when he was young. He is too old now to try this. I have seen declawed shelter cats too, and I would take one of those if I was getting another cat.</p>
<p>My cats were all raised before we got them to use scratching posts and not furniture.
I think it is hard to stop them from scratching , once they have started. I personally had no luck in my attempts . I tried some of the suggestions, i.e. spraying them with water, shaking a can full of pennies…didn’t help. Cats don’t like to hear that noise, or get wet…problem for me was, they learned to do their scratching when we slept or not at home.
It has been a long time since I had a scratcher though. My mother has a hard time with her otherwise great shelter cat. He has done a number on her chair.
I know this will bring out some boos from the shelter adoption fans, but did you ever consider getting a retired show cat ? They need homes too and are usually great pets, since they exhibit the best traits of their breed.</p>
<p>I began clipping my cat’s claws when he was still a kitten because he couldn’t put up much of a fight at the time (actually, it was hilarious – ears flattened, growling, hissing, opening his mouth like he was going to bite – it was all an act). After a while, he got used to it and now, as an adult, I can pretty much flip him onto his back at will, clip his claws, and he offers no resistance. Sometimes, he actually purrs while I’m doing it. So much for the notion that cats are smart . . . but it has kept the damage to my furniture to a minimum.</p>
<p>Count me as one who has always had scratchy cats who refused to use a scratching post. We usually adopt the older kittens or grown cats from the humane society, and in those cases, those cats have never adapted to posts and have never been deterred by water, noise, or threats. So, call me inhumane and monstrous, but my cats are declawed. With the newer kinds of laser surgery, their recovery time was remarkably fast.</p>
<p>As others have said - better declawed that dead, especially when you look at all the adult cats living in shelters.</p>
How do you cat owners deal with this situation?</p>